Begawan’s Students Learned a Seed Selection Technique

Seed selection is a crucial part of rice cultivation as choosing good seeds will be very profitable for farmers. Good seeds can grow healthily, have strong roots, produce abundant grain, and be more resistant to environmental damage, allowing farmers to increase their production, and retain good seeds for the next rice cycle.

There are various ways to select good seeds. Some farmers use seeds distributed by the government. Other farmers select seeds independently using traditional methods. Selecting seeds independently has several advantages, as  farmers can directly ensure the seeds’ quality, thus it is more cost-effective.’

This activity is part of the Soil and Farming theme at Begawan’s Learning Centre, focussing on environmental science with an emphasis on soil health and non-chemical rice farming. Incorporating the four principles of learning including introspective, emotive, active and cognitive learning, these lessons provide the students with opportunities to develop useful agricultural knowledge through fun and experiential learning experiences inside and outside the classroom.

Begawan’s Students Learn by Doing

On October 5, 2022, Begawan’s students learned how to select good seeds using the floatation technique. They prepared a bucket of water and slowly added salt to it. Then they stirred the water and placed a duck egg in it. If the egg floats, it means the water is ready to be used to select seeds.

The students had to predict whether their egg would sink or float. Some eggs still sunk so the students had to estimate and add more salt until the egg floated. They then removed the egg and poured a handful of paddy seeds into the water. As they stirred the water,  the sunken seeds with a high potential to germinate separated from the empty floating seeds.

The students then washed the good seeds to remove the salt residue, soaked the seeds for three days and incubated them in a dark and moist place for one night. Finally, the seeds were ready for sowing in a nursery tray specially made by the students. (Desy)